3 takeaways from 2024-25 Phoenix Suns schedule

The 2024-25 Phoenix Suns schedule is officially live!

It’s been an eventful summer for the Suns, including hiring a new coach in Mike Budenholzer; two new rookies being selected in the 2024 NBA Draft; Tyus Jones, Monte Morris and Mason Plumlee joining in free agency; Royce O’Neale, Josh Okogie, Bol Bol and Damion Lee re-signing in Phoenix; and Devin Booker and Kevin Durant winning gold medals in the Paris 2024 Olympics.

We’re definitely in the dog days of the basketball calendar now, but at least we have the schedule release to comb through as we eagerly await the start of a new Phoenix Suns season in 69 days! Here are some key facts, dates and takeaways from the 2024-25 Suns schedule.

Key facts from 2024-25 Suns schedule

• Number of nationally-televised games: 30
  • ESPN: 10
  • ABC: 2
  • TNT: 7
  • NBA TV: 11
• Number of back-to-backs: 16
• Holiday games:
  • Halloween: @ LA Clippers (7:30 PM on NBA TV)
  • Christmas Day: vs. Denver Nuggets (8:30 PM on ESPN)
  • New Year’s Eve: vs. Memphis Grizzlies (7 PM)
  • MLK Day: @ Cleveland Cavaliers (1:30 PM)
• Longest homestand: 6 games over 16 days (Nov. 18 – Dec. 3)
• Longest road trip: 5 games over 9 days (Jan. 14-22)

key dates for 2024-25 Suns schedule

• Grayson Allen becomes trade-eligible: Thursday, Oct. 15
• First Suns game: Wednesday, Oct. 23: @ LA Clippers (7 PM on ESPN)
• First Suns home game: Saturday, Oct. 26: vs. Dallas Mavericks (7 PM)
• Emirates NBA Cup group stage games:
  • Tuesday, Nov. 12: @ Utah Jazz (7 PM)
  • Friday, Nov. 15: @ Oklahoma City Thunder (6 PM)
  • Tuesday, Nov. 26: vs. Los Angeles Lakers (8 PM)
  • Tuesday, Dec. 3: vs. San Antonio Spurs (7 PM)
• Emirates NBA Cup quarterfinals: Tuesday, Dec. 10 – Wednesday, Dec. 11
• Emirates NBA Cup semifinals: Saturday, Dec. 14
• Tyus Jones, Royce O’Neale, Monte Morris, Mason Plumlee, Bol Bol* and Damion Lee* become trade-eligible: Sunday, Dec. 15
  • * = have the ability to veto trades
• Emirates NBA Cup championship: Tuesday, Dec. 17
• Josh Okogie becomes trade-eligible: Wednesday, Jan. 15
• 2025 NBA Trade Deadline: Feb. 6
• Last Suns game before All-Star break: Wednesday, Feb. 12 @ Houston Rockets (6:30 PM)
• 2025 NBA All-Star Weekend: Feb. 14-16
• Last day of NBA regular season: April 13
• NBA Play-In Tournament: April 15-18
• 2025 NBA Playoffs begin: April 19

Full 2024-25 Suns schedule:

Note: This schedule includes 80 games (40 away, 40 at home), with two games to be scheduled based on what happens with the Emirates NBA Cup. If the Suns make it to the knockout round of the NBA Cup, their two remaining games could come in the quarterfinal and semifinal, plus a potential 83rd game for the championship round if they make it that far.

If the Suns make the NBA Cup and lose in the quarterfinal, they’d have to schedule an additional regular-season game to get to 82. If they fail to qualify for the knockout round of the NBA Cup, they’ll schedule two regular-season games — one on the road, one at home — to get to 82 games.

3 takeaways from Suns schedule

1. The three toughest stretches

The schedule-makers did the Suns no favors with any smooth sailing to build early-season chemistry under their new head coach. Phoenix starts the 2024-25 campaign off with a three-games-in-four-nights scenario, including their home opener against the Dallas Mavericks coming on the second night of a back-to-back.

But that’s not all! According to ESPN, the Suns have the most difficult strength of schedule in October and November among all 2024 playoff teams:

Four of the Suns’ first five games of the season feature matchups against the LA teams, along with the Mavs for the home opener. In November, they’ll face playoff-caliber teams like the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, Mavs again, Sacramento Kings (twice), Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, Orlando Magic, New York Knicks, Lakers again, and Golden State Warriors.

In all, 13 of their first 19 games of the season will be against playoff teams from last year, and that number rises to 16 of 19 if you include play-in teams that didn’t make the final eight playoff teams.

The Suns have most of their roster from last season intact between Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, Grayson Allen, Jusuf Nurkic, Royce O’Neale, Josh Okogie and Bol Bol. Getting the new guys like Tyus Jones, Monte Morris and Mason Plumlee on the same page, not to mention building cohesion in Mike Budenholzer’s system, will be key in helping Phoenix hit the ground running against a tougher batch of opponents.

From a games played standpoint, the Suns’ toughest stretch may come in late January and February. From Jan. 31 through Feb. 25, Phoenix will play nine of their 12 games on the road, and that stretch includes four back-to-backs.

The good news is that stretch features the All-Star break and a more favorable batch of opponents, including two games against the Portland Trail Blazers, one against the Utah Jazz, two against the unpredictable Memphis Grizzlies, one against the San Antonio Spurs, one against the Chicago Bulls and one against the Toronto Raptors.

Phoenix’s toughest stretch from an opponent standpoint will likely be the last three weeks of the season. From March 24 onward, the Suns will face the Milwaukee Bucks twice, Boston Celtics twice, Minnesota Timberwolves, Houston Rockets, New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors, Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs and Sacramento Kings over their final 11 games to close the year out.

Christmas week is no cakewalk either, as the Suns face the Denver Nuggets twice, along with the Mavericks and Warriors before a New Year’s Eve showdown with the Grizzlies.

2. Some noteworthy games

Obviously the Suns have big games on Halloween, Christmas and New Year’s Eve, but aside from those no-brainers, there’s a few other noteworthy games to jot down on the calendar.

After getting swept by the Timberwolves last year, Phoenix will face them again for the first time on the road on Nov. 17. Their first rematch in Phoenix won’t come until Jan. 29. In that same realm of recent playoff opponents, the Suns’ first game against the Mavericks is the home opener on Oct. 26 (on the second night of a back-to-back), and their first matchup with the Nuggets is on the road on Dec. 23…two days before their Christmas showdown back in Phoenix.

One cool homecoming nugget is Kevin Durant will get to play the San Antonio Spurs on his former stomping grounds at the University of Texas at Austin on Feb. 20.

Mike Budenholzer will make his return to Milwaukee on April 1, but his first meeting against his former team will come a week earlier in a 2021 NBA Finals rematch in Phoenix on March 24. The Suns also won’t face the defending NBA champion Celtics until March 26 at home, followed by a road matchup on April 4.

And if you’re into grudge matches, the Suns didn’t have too many players leave in the offseason, but Drew Eubanks’ first game back in the Valley will be on Jan. 11 when the Utah Jazz come to visit, and Eric Gordon’s return will be on Nov. 4 when the Philadelphia 76ers come to town.

3. January is a good time to rack up wins

Despite facing gauntlets to start and end the season, the middle stretch would be a good time for Phoenix to stay healthy and rack up some wins. After games against the Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers to start the new year, the Suns will then face an easier 10-game run against the:

• Charlotte Hornets (second night of a back-to-back)
• Atlanta Hawks
• Utah Jazz
• Charlotte Hornets (second night of a back-to-back)
• Atlanta Hawks
• Washington Wizards
• Detroit Pistons
• Cleveland Cavaliers
• Brooklyn Nets
• Washington Wizards

That’s a pretty sweet stretch that would be ideal for Phoenix to capitalize on! There are only two back-to-backs over that three-week stretch, and only the Cavs made the playoffs last year out of those 10 teams.

Phoenix has slightly more back-to-backs (16) than the league average (14.9), which puts even more of an emphasis on this lighter stretch of the Suns schedule.